The 2024-25 season is officially underway and teams across the league are still looking to find their place in the NBA hierarchy. In Dallas on Wednesday, the reigning Western Conference champions made a statement in their home opener with a blowout win over the Spurs (120-109) and their young superstar, Victor Wembanyama.
1 of 82 ✅ MAVS WIN!!!@Chime // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/hg4HsO2gH8
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) October 25, 2024
The first two quarters were neck-and-neck, with both teams essentially taking turns putting the ball through the net. The Mavericks shot 41.1% from the field in the game, including 43% from three. But it wasn’t until the third period that the Mavericks pulled away thanks to red-hot three-point shooting from the perimeter.
Luka Doncic led all Mavericks with 28 points 10 rebounds, and 8 assists on 9-25 shooting. Klay Thompson made Mavericks history with 6 made three-pointers in his debut to put up 22 points and 7 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving finished with 15 points in 27 minutes.
“The Dallas Mavericks really have Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson,” wrote one fan in disbelief.
The Spurs had four starters in doubles figures, including Jeremy Sochan (18 points), Harrison Barnes (17 points), and Julian Champagnie (18 points). Victor Wembanyama finished with 17 points in the loss, along with 11 rebounds in 18 minutes.
“A whole lot of games left and this will change, but Julian Champagnie has legit been the Spurs’ best player tonight lol,” wrote Nekias Duncan on X.
The San Antonio Spurs had the second-worst record in the West last season and it includes a stretch of 18 straight losses (franchise history). This year, with Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, and other notable pickups, the Spurs definitely got better overall and it showed tonight with 30 team assists and 12 made threes on 33% shooting.
Meanwhile, after a horrendous preseason, many fans were concerned that Klay Thompson was declined to the point of being ineffective for the Mavs. But he did somewhat redeem himself tonight by scoring 22 points on 60% shooting from three.
“Leaving a top three shooter all time on the three-point line to go double Luka Doncic… will be a choice this season,” wrote NBA insider Landon Thomas. “Can’t do that anymore defending this team, Klay Thompson will make you regret it.
After losing in the NBA Finals this past June, the Mavericks came into this season with title aspirations and with faith that Thompson was the missing link that would push them over the top. So far, the results have looked promising for the defending Western Conference champions.
“Mavericks had a win percentage of 70% after the trade deadline last season and dominated OKC and Minnesota in the playoffs,” wrote NBA fan Joel Moran. “I don’t think people realize just how great this team will be this year with a full offseason together.”
Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have had some success together in the past but against teams like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Thunder, more was required to gain an advantage. This summer, GM Nico Harrison responded by signing 4x champion Klay Thompson to the mix and he’s had a positive influence so far.
Even without Klay Thompson, the Mavericks had the pieces of the best offensive team in the league. But with Klay in his current form, the Mavericks have the potential to outscore anyone in the league.
It’s just one of 82 games for the Mavericks this season, but it was important to send the proper message early on and it’s clear from the debut that they wanted to establish a big lead in the standings right out of the gate.
With the best offensive trio in the game, the Mavericks are undoubtedly among the favorites to win the West this year and if they can keep making 43% of their threes, they’ll be a tough team for anyone to beat moving forward.
Of course, when it comes to the Mavericks, they will only go as far as Luka Doncic takes them. The Slovenian superstar is in for a big year after finishing 8th in the 2024 MVP race and it looks like he’s on the MVP track once again after posting a near-triple double in his NBA debut.
At 1-0 in the West, the Mavericks can sit comfortably at the top of the standings until Saturday for their next matchup against the Phoenix Suns. It will be another big test for them against a top West contender but the Mavericks will embrace the challenge and they are eager to make amends for their Finals loss back in June.
For now, most NBA fans are still waiting to make their final judgments on the new-look Mavericks but their position should be pretty clear to anyone paying attention. This season, the Dallas Mavericks will be a team to watch and they showed everyone why in their very first game.
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